Book Review: Divergent by Veronica Roth

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Reading level: Young Adult


Hardcover: 496 pages

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books (May 3, 2011)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0062024027

ISBN-13: 978-0062024022
 
 
 
 
 
Cover: Not typically a cover that I would be instantly drawn to, but the colors are bright and like many other novels, the symbolism makes more sense after you've read the book.
 
Book Summary:
In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.
 
During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves… or it might destroy her.
 
Debut author Veronica Roth bursts onto the literary scene with the first book in the Divergent series—dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance.
 
First Sentence: "There is one mirror in my house."


Review:

I have been almost obsessed with dystopian novels lately and after finishing The Hunger Games trilogy, I was searching desperately for my next fix. My best friend suggested that I read Divergent (and by suggested, I mean that she shoved the book into my hand and told me to stop my current read because there was no way it was better than this book) and it did not disappoint. I'm a fairly fast reader, but it usually takes me forever to read a book because I'm either too busy or too lazy to get it finished in any kind of timely manner. I read Divergent in three days. And yes, that is quite quick for me!

From the moment I first met Beatrice Prior, I was hooked. With a unique and interesting plot that definitely rivaled The Hunger Games and characters that stuck with me long after the turn of the last page, Divergent has undeniably become one of my favorite reads.

Tris is a strong and determined leading character whose voice was clear and honest from the very beginning. A capable and headstrong young woman, Tris handles any situation she's handed with fearless aptitude and she does so in a way that is not only believable but admirable. She may not be perfect, but she strives to conquer anything that is thrown her way and she proves time and again that it doesn't take size and strength to survive but bravery and intellect and she uses these traits to thrive within a rather ruthless society.

I was equally impressed with Tris' leading man, Four. Four is a perfect fit for Tris because he pushes her constantly to her limit. He pushes her temper as well as her abilities. He may appear to cruel to others, but everything he does is a carefully planned tactic to help Tris in her endeavor to enter the Dauntless faction. Don't get me wrong, Four shows no favoritism towards Tris, in fact, he shows no mercy to any of the initiates, but he does this out of respect for Tris, who wouldn't want to be given any special treatment. Their relationship starts out at a low sizzle and slowly creeps its way up to a roaring fire when they finally allow themselves to have each other.

Not only do Roth's characters both leap off the page and into your hearts, but her plot and the world she has created are also phenomenal. I absolutely loved the idea of the different factions and the pros and cons they all presented. The thought of having to choose one trait in life that was the most important to you and to live your life solely based on this trait is almost unimaginable to me but somehow, it doesn't seem so far fetched. The thing I love most about dystopian societies is that they show us what our future could possibly be like if the leaders of our world continue to make bad decisions. The plots may seem out there at first glance, but after deeper thought, it's believable that this could possible be our future.

The world of Divergent is no exception. The plot is equally thought provoking as it is fast paced and exciting. Roth shows us what a single minded society can create and how the human race can continue to divide and isolate different groups until we are left with nothing. Her main character, Tris, shows us that we are not so different. She may have grown up in the selfless faction and chosen to live in the fearless faction, but she realizes that they are not so different as it takes bravery to be selfless and selflessness to be brave.


Divergent was well written, well thought out, and perfectly executed. From the first page to the last, I was completely consumed in Roth's universe. The characters and the plot left nothing lacking and for that, Divergent has made itself a nice, comfortable spot on my shelf of favorites! I can't wait for the next Roth masterpiece!

I give it a 5 out of 5!